jasear

Thanks

Hi,

Id second all the other comments here. My MPG averages around 29-30, but can get 32 If I make a bit of an effort (gentle right foot, good anticipation) and thats with very few motorway miles.Do the usual stuff, such as keep on top off correct tyre pressures etc. and these figures are fairly easy to see.

Auto box is fantastically smooth. A really brilliant bit of engineering. V6 makes a satisfying noise when revved, but its also a comfy cruiser.

I had an e90 3 series saloon (previous 05-12 model) a few years back, a 325i straight six petrol manual.

The main difference between the two in my experience is the interior material and build quality. Better on the Lexus. Ride was also harsh on the BMW due to run flat tyres being standard. The BMW has better cabin space. Im 6'2 and sit comfortably in the Lexus but the rear is cramped. Overall ownership experience I have to say goes to the Lexus. And the BM loses its special feeling quick as they are so common.

What to look out for - not an exhaustive list but the spark plugs need changing at 60k miles service and its expensive (£500-£600 at main dealer), the brake calipers are prone to seizing up. Seach this forum for lots of good info.

You dont say what age\mileage of car you looking at but BM diesels dont like big mileages. My neighbours have a 120d and 320d and both needed expensive turbo rebuilds before 80k miles. The 320d needed two come to think of it.

Overall - Personally I wouldnt have a diesel 3 series auto over the IS250 auto.

Thanks, that puts to rest any doubts I had, I will be going for the IS250. I am going to be doing mainly town driving so I dont think I will benefit too much by having a diesel.

I also agree with what most people have said here. To me the BMW just looks too ordinary (maybe because it is so common) and dull/dated from inside whereas the IS250 just grabs your attention straight away.

Also have to agree with the point on the favourable reviews BMW's tend to get. The main point that seems to get emphasised all the time is the handling of the BMW's when pushed to the limits. I am looking for a car to drive in my every day life not one that I will be using for rally driving. To me confort and economy are more important than how the car handles at high speeds around tight bends. The level of equipment you get with the IS250 is just miles better than what you get with a BMW 3 series. For example you will struggle to find one with electric seats whereas this comes pretty much as standard with the IS250.

Thanks you all for your help on this.

I think this is where I read it:

http://www.whatcar.com/car-reviews/lexus/is-saloon/250-se-4dr/summary/67024

We’d avoid the Lexus IS250 SE because its thirsty petrol engine will cost you a fortune in fuel and tax.

Edit: Actually that is for the newest IS250. The following is what they have to say for the 2005-2013 IS250:

Verdict A fine car, but spoilt by the unsettled ride and noise

Thanks Steve, that is good to hear. I just read some reviews from some people claiming it was very heavy on petrol but 29 mpg in local mileage is pretty damn good!

Hi

I am looking to buy an IS250.

I will be driving mainly non-motorway miles but I live in Milton Keynes where the roads are wide and open and you dont usually have too much traffic.

I have heard and read that the IS250 is very heavy on petrol, I would have considered the diesel version but it does not come with an auto gearbox. How bad is fuel economy on the IS250?

I will also be grateful if you can advise on what to look out for in the car I am considering to purchase?

Lastly have any of you owned a BMW 3 series and IS250? If so can you adivse on how they both compare? I just love the IS250 but the only thing that appeals to me about the BMW 3 series is the fact it comes with an auto gearbox in diesel. Btw why on earth there is no auto option in the IS220d?

anyone? even if you can provide a range?

Unfortunately, soon I will be selling my RX300 as I now need a 7 seater and Lexus dont do any 7 seaters!!!

Just wanted to get an idea of how much you guys think I should advertise it for? Below are the details:

Lexus Silver RX300 2001 (Y Reg) 3.0 Automatic LPG Converted with Full service history (part Lexus part non-Lexus)

Mileage: 103,000

MOT: 11 months

Black Heated and electric Leather Seats

Reverse parking sensors

Factory fitted Sat Nav

It has one of the best Landi LPG systems, Ive been told they are one of the most expensive

Car was serviced a few months ago that included cambelt change + new spark plugs and full service

The LPG system was also fully serviced at the same time

The car is in good condition inside and out with no mechanical issues at all.

Yeah, I read somewhere there was an update at some point which fixed / enabled the on-the-move function.

I now know the maps I need but they are just so expensive. £140 odd for the maps, I could buy a pretty good sat nav for that much!!

Thanks for your reply. I have figured out I need the following:

pz485-l00eu-09

08927-50864 - 2007/2008 DVD

08927-50865 - 2009/2010 DVD

If anyone has this and is selling them please can you let me know? I will be interested in buying it.

Hi,

I have a 2001 Lexus RX300 and I think it has the really old maps from 2001 :)

I would like to update the maps and was wondering if this is possible? If it is then where would be the best place to get the updated maps?

Secondly, on my RX300 when the car is moving at a certain speed I can see that certain parts of the Sat Nav are disabled such as entering a new address e.t.c. Is this normal expected behaviour? Is there a way to disable it?

Took the car to Lexus Milton Keynes for a diagnostic check.

The customer service was great, the lady at the reception was really nice and helpful.

So I sat there while they were carrying out some diagnostic checks.

Then the mechanic came along with the lady to update me on the results. Was really dissappointed with the attitude of the mechanic. He had this smuggish smile on his face and wouldnt really want to give proper detailed answers. Just said there is nothing wrong with the car apart from the engine light being on but that is because of an oxygen sensor. He then said the reason for that is the way the LPG conversion was done. Now I dont know about this because when I bought the car (was already converted to LPG) the engine light was not on and only came on some time later. He said basically its not a very well done conversion job and is basically a botched job. The conversion was done by a certified garage. Myabe he is right, i dont know, but I didnt like the way he was telling me this as if it was my fault.

Then I asked him about the car losing coolant and he said he couldnt find any leaks and that too is probably down to the lpg conversion. I told him it doesnt leak when the car is standing (please ignore my earlier comment that there was a leak I think I mixed that up with the fact that I used some warm water to clear ice from my windscreen and the water on the driveway was probably from that) but after I have driven it and I check the coolant level and I can see it has dropped significantly. He said oh really? And then went on to blame that onto the LPG system too and said that basically you'll just have to live with it and top it up all the time.

To cut the long story short it seemed like I was being treated in a non-cooperative way because the car had been converted to LPG. Now when I arranged this appointment I specifically mentioned and told the lady over the phone the car is converted to LPG and it isnt a factory fitted lpg system. Do you have a problem with that? And she said no that is fine. The reason I mentioned this to her was because I know there are some morons that have a problem with this.

The whole thing about the LPG system causing the water to leak doesnt make any sense to me at all. Ive had the car for 2 years and if there was something fundamentally wrong with the LPG conversion I would have had problems all along. This coolant system issue has appeared only recently. It could very well be that some part fitted as part of the LPG system has worn out and is now causing this but I dont know.

Thanks for your advise guys. It was bigger than a dinner plate. I have topped up the coolant several times now upto the full mark.

Then after I drive for a few miles, stop and check it again it is at the bottom. But it doesnt seem to go any lower than that whcih I find strange becuase if there was a leak wouldnt it just keep going lower and lower until there is almost no water left?

The temp gauge is also very intermittent now when before it was very stable. If I am driving at a decent speed then it is fine but when I go slow or have to stop in traffic it starts going up and up.

I will check exactly where the leak is appearing.

Just checked the engine coolant level and it was low. I topped it up and still saw no improvement.

Then the next day I checked the coolant level again and from the top it had gone almost to the bottom.

Then I noticed a big patch of water on the driveway. It seems like the car is leaking water.

Hi,

Something has gone wrong with the cars internal heating. I have it at max temperature but it does not blow hot air.

I have noticed that after a while (maybe an hour of driving) when I am driving on the motorway and going fast (70mph :)) some hot air starts blowing. But when I slow down again it seems to stop blowing this hot air.

Can someone please advise what could be wrong?

Thanks in advance

Hi,

My Lexus RX300 needs a full service with possible cambelt change (approaching 90k).

Does anyone here know of a good lexus specialist in the milton keynes area or surrounding it?

Thanks for your help in advance. Also any idea how much a cambelt change will cost?

So if I change the back tyres to be the same as the front i.e. 225 55 17 then it should be fine`?

I am just concerned whether now they have to be the exact same brand?

Someone please help!

Hi,

My car (Lexus RX300 2001) just went through an MOT. The front tyres needed replacement. The size of the front tyres were 225 60 17. For some reason these seem to be extremely rare tyres and I could not find them anywhere. The MOT station had some 225 55 17 and they suggested that I use these as it wont make much of a difference so I got them.

However I recently noticed that when I am driving on the motorway and go around 80 mph the car starts shuddering a bit. I can feel this on the steering as well as in the car. It use to shudder a bit before I got the tyres replaced but not as bad as this and I just thought at the time that maybe the wheels require balancing.

I am not an expert on this subject so would be grateful for your input. I am not sure if this is because of the tyre size change or something else? Could this be because I have 225 55 17 in the front and 225 60 17 at the back? Or is this something else?

Please can someone confirm if the RX300 is exempt? I have a Y reg 2001 RX300 with LPG conversion that was done by Leicester Autogas.

Not sure if I can apply for the exemption.

If its an import it will say so on the V5 (logbook). I doubt if it is an import but if I were buying a lexus that is one of the first things I would find out. Not that buying imports is bad its just that you should be aware of what you are buying and be prepared accordingly.

:) It sure does! I am actually suprised at the quotes. I would have thought not a lot of companies would like to insure a 20 rated vehicle that is an import as well. Its not so bad after all.

£800 aint bad to be honest.

Lol :) 20 is the top one. Its gotta be a 20. Dude you must have one hell of a premium!

Its gotta be more than a 15. How much bhp does it have? I would imagine it would be atleast a 18.

Whats the insurance like on the Aristo? What insurance rating does it have?

I really dont understand the obsession with bhp's in uk no offense to anyone here. I would really like to understand what difference it makes if your car has 150 bhp or 666 bhp on a road with a speed limit of 30 mph?

Ok it makes a few seconds of difference on a road where the speed limit is 70 mph. Is saving that few seconds worth the 1000's of pounds you are paying extra? My answer to that is no.

I would have understood the obsession in Germany where there is no speed limit on the motorway, or if you were involved in motor racing sport. Dont understand it at all when it comes to having a car for daily usage. Maybe its just the show off factor?

You may not be able to travel faster than 70mph, but you can certainly use the acceleration that higher power engines gives you. Technically, there is no point owning anything other than a 1100cc Metro, which has 5 seats, a boot and can easily travel at the motorway speed limit. Yet you choose to own a 4WD, 3 litre vehicle - presumably just 'because you want to'. And there's nothing wrong with that at all, be boring if we were all the same.

If you rationally analyse almost anything people do apart from basic living essentials, you can say 'that's silly'.

Personally, I agree with you that it's not necessary, but there are other factors at play. People like taking on challenges, pushing themselves and their skills etc just for the fun of it, I think that this is just part of that.

Mike, I was thinking about that as well. If you look at it from a basic necessity point of view then yes a 1.1 litre micra would do. However I can understand why people would like to have a SUV from a practical point of view. The reason I got my SUV for example was for more space at the back (I have 3 kids) as you generally have more space in an SUV. You also get more boot space. On top of that I feel safer in a 4wd especially in the conditions we have right now. I wouldnt have bought this car if it wasnt LPG converted as the amount I would have ended up spending on petrol would have been ridiculous. These are all practical reasons imo.

Therefore I can understand why everyone doesnt opt for a micra. I can also understand why some people would opt for a more expensive and luxurious car for better comfort. Doing 60 miles in a micra compared to 60 miles in a Lexus GS300 is totally different. You would be more mentally tired and drained doing those miles in a micra. Now imagine if you commute 60 miles to work in a micra 5 days a week. By the time you reach work you would already be tired and mentally drained.

Practically, I dont understand the point of a car in the UK with 600bhp. But I understand the show factor. And I have nothing against that.:)